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Brief Answers for People Who Are Against the 2nd Amendment

Massad Ayoob is an internationally recognized lethal-force expert with more than 40 years of experience as a police officer, author, and firearms and self-defense instructor to law enforcement officers and private citizens. He says the defensive use of a firearm is a direct analog to the use of a fire extinguisher.

In the mid-20th century, fire extinguishers were not prevalent in private homes. Today, fire extinguishers in homes are as common as smoke detectors in homes; fire extinguishers are also even in cars as a precaution. What happened to cause this change?

The public finally became aware of how a fire extinguisher is an invaluable tool to instantly stop a fire emergency and save lives before the fire trucks expend multiple minutes just to arrive on the scene, let alone begin extinguishing the blaze and rescuing people. Similarly the defensive firearm is an emergency safety rescue tool for the citizen who is on site to responsibly use when a deadly danger breaks out. The sooner the individual can stop the threat, the more innocent lives can be saved.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Worldviews and Emotional Assumptions in the Gun Civil Rights Debate ]

In the following video (with time stamps below), Mr. Ayoob offers soundbite answers to frequent broad stroke statements against the 2nd Amendment:

Latest Biblical Archaeology Research

The Bible is a collection of 66 ancient books written over a period of 1,600 years by about 40 different authors from various countries and cultures. The authors included shepherds, fishermen, soldiers, and farmers. One was a Gentile physician and another was a Jewish rabbi. They wrote about controversial subjects, such as the origin of the universe, the purpose of life, the destiny of humanity, and the way of salvation from the judgment of God. With all that diversity, the cohesion and agreement about these subjects are remarkable and life-changing.

[ Read the Bible on Bible Gateway ]

Written centuries ago, the Bible’s message remains relevant today. Its historical veracity is repeatedly proven through archaeological discoveries that corroborate the existence and influence of locations, governments, and people mentioned in Scripture.

[ Read Bible verses that present the Good News of life through faith in Jesus Christ ]

What follows is a collection of the latest biblical archaeology and historical research that confirms the Bible’s credibility.

[ Read Why Biblical Archaeology Is Important for Your Bible Reading: An Interview with Randall Price ]
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The Book & The Spade Radio Program about Biblical Archaeology
⇨ The Book & The Spade
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[ Read SemperVerus articles on Spiritual Fitness ]

3rd-Century Inscription Affirming Jesus as God Is ‘Nail in the Coffin’ of Skeptics, Apologist Says
(December 2024)
⇨ crosswalk.com
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Newly Deciphered Ancient Babylonian Map Supports Bible, Points to Noah’s Ark Spot, Archeologists Say (November 2024)
⇨ CBN News
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Which Archeological Finds Support the Bible? (November 2024)
⇨ TheCollector
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Israeli Archaeologists Discover Unique Ancient Seal Affirming Biblical Account of Jerusalem 2,700 Years Ago (August 2024)
⇨ Fox News
⇨ Read 1 Chronicles 12:7 and Jeremiah 43:2 on Bible Gateway
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Solving Mystery, Archaeologists Find Vast Moat That Protected Jerusalem’s Biblical Kings (July 2024)
⇨ The Times of Isarel
⇨ Israel Antiquities Authority
⇨ Read about the Millo in the ESV Reformation Study Bible on Bible Gateway
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Rare 4,000-Year-Old Artifact Mentioned in the Bible 25 Times Is Discovered in Israel’s ‘Cave of Skulls’ (July 2024)
⇨ Daily Mail
⇨ Israel Antiquities Authority
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Newly Found Assyrian Camp Supports Epic Biblical Account, Expert Says (June 2024)
⇨ Fox News
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Key Events in the Bible, Such as the Settlement and Destruction of Jerusalem, Confirmed Using Radiocarbon Dating (May 2024)
⇨ Live Science
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Stretch of Wall in Ancient Jerusalem Vindicates the Bible’s Account, Archaeologists Claim (May 2024)
⇨ Daily Mail
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Israeli Research Uses Earth’s Magnetic Field to Verify Event in Bible’s Book of Kings (January 2024)
⇨ The Jerusalem Post
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The Bible Got It Right, Israeli Tech Again Confirms (January 2024)
⇨ Israel Today
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8.3% of USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the number of concealed handgun permits soared to over 21.52 million—a 48% increase since 2016, according to the Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2021 report from the Crime Prevention Research Center. It’s also a 10.5% increase over the number of permits counted a year ago in 2020.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Unlike gun ownership surveys that may be affected by people’s unwillingness to answer personal questions, concealed handgun permit data is the only really “hard data” available. This increase occurred despite 21 Constitutional Carry states (AK, AR, AZ, IA, ID, KS, KY, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NH, OK, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WV, WY) that no longer provide data on all those legally carrying a concealed handgun because people in those states no longer need a permit to carry. All states now allow concealed carry, although permit rules vary widely between states.

Map showing how different states of America regulate concealed carry as of 2021

Read the Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2021 report

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 7.6% of USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns ]

Among the findings of the report:

Last year, the number of permit holders grew by a record 2 million. This is more than the previous record increase of 1.8 million in 2017. Part of that is due to many states reopening concealed carry applications after the pause due to COVID-19.

8.3% of American adults have permits. Outside of the restrictive states of California and New York, about 10.0% of adults have a permit.

In 15 states, more than 10% of adults have permits. Since 2019, Arkansas and Oklahoma have fallen below 10%, but they’re now all Constitutional Carry states, meaning people no longer need a permit to carry. Virginia’s concealed carry rate has risen to above 10%.

Alabama has the highest concealed carry rate—32.1%. Indiana is second with 21.6%, and Iowa is third with 16.5%.
Read More…

7.6% of USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns

The total number of permits to concealed carry firearms in the USA is at least 19.48 million, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center report, Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2020. Add in people who legally carry in the 17 Constitutional Carry states that do not require permits in all or almost all of their state (AK, AR, AZ, ID, KS, KY, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NH, OK, SD, VT, WV, WY) and the number clearly becomes much larger. The CPRC report also shows that the growth rate for permits by women continues to be much greater than for men; Florida is the state that has issued the most concealed carry permits at 2.14 million; and that permit holders are supremely law-abiding. All states now allow concealed carry, although permit rules vary widely between states.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Map showing how different states of America regulate concealed carry as of 2020